Meditations in Exodus
This meditation is a companion to a previous meditation: And the People Multiplied – Exodus 1
As we have noted in a previous meditation (see above), in Exodus the Lord our God began the process of fulfilling his promises unto His chosen people, the children of Israel. Even so, three times Exodus 1 indicates that the children of Israel multiplied in number and might. Thus the book of Exodus begins with a demonstration of our Lord God’s faithfulness unto His own.
Yet as the Lord our God moves in faithfulness to bless His people, the world often moves in hatred to afflict God’s people. This present evil world sets itself against the Lord, against His authority, and against His will. Therefore, this present evil world also sets itself against the Lord’s people with hatred and persecution (John 15:18-25). Yet even in the midst of this world’s hateful persecution, our Lord continues faithful unto His faithful servants. Even so, in six acts Exodus 1 reveals the conflict between the Lord’s faithfulness for His people and the world’s hatred against God’s people.
This meditation is a companion to a previous meditation: And the People Multiplied – Exodus 1
As we have noted in a previous meditation (see above), in Exodus the Lord our God began the process of fulfilling his promises unto His chosen people, the children of Israel. Even so, three times Exodus 1 indicates that the children of Israel multiplied in number and might. Thus the book of Exodus begins with a demonstration of our Lord God’s faithfulness unto His own.
Yet as the Lord our God moves in faithfulness to bless His people, the world often moves in hatred to afflict God’s people. This present evil world sets itself against the Lord, against His authority, and against His will. Therefore, this present evil world also sets itself against the Lord’s people with hatred and persecution (John 15:18-25). Yet even in the midst of this world’s hateful persecution, our Lord continues faithful unto His faithful servants. Even so, in six acts Exodus 1 reveals the conflict between the Lord’s faithfulness for His people and the world’s hatred against God’s people.
Act 1: The Lord Blesses His People
Exodus 1:7 declares, “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.” This was the Lord’s hand of blessing upon His people. He caused them to be fruitful and to increase abundantly. He caused them to multiply and to wax exceeding mighty. Yea, He did so in faithful fulfillment of His promises unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Act 2: The World Turns Against God’s People
Exodus 1:8-10 declares, “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.”
This persecution by the world against God’s people is founded upon the fact that the world does not spiritually know the Lord. Even so, in John 15:21 our Lord Jesus Christ warned His disciples, saying, “But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.” Again in John 16:1-3 our Lord Jesus Christ warned them, saying, “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.”
Not knowing the Lord, this present evil world is not motivated to joy and praise when the Lord blesses His people, but to aggravation and fear. In such aggravation and fear, this present evil world hates to see God’s people blessed and multiplied. Thus the world will be moved to afflict God’s people in order to counteract the Lord’s hand of blessing upon. Yea, the world will put burdens upon God’s people, will treat them harshly, and will make their life bitter.
Even so, Exodus 1:11-14 declares concerning the Egyptian’s treatment of God’s people Israel, “Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.”
Act 3: The Lord Defeats the World’s Attacks against His People
Indeed, the world will hatefully persecute God’s people when they are blessed by the hand of the Lord our God. Yet in the midst of this very hatred and persecution, the Lord our God will bless His faithful servants even more. Yea, in His faithfulness unto His people, the Lord our God will defeat the world’s attacks against His faithful servants by multiplying His blessing upon them. Even so, the opening portion of Exodus 1:12 declares, “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.”
Act 4: The World Will Expand Its Attacks against God’s People
Often, the Lord’s faithfulness to defeat the world’s attacks against His people and to multiply His blessing upon them does not move the world to repent of their rebellion against the Lord and of their hatred against His people. Rather, the world often hardens their heart in greater rebellion and in greater hatred. Thus the world is moved to expand and intensify their attacks against God’s faithful servants. Having presented the Lord’s multiplied blessing upon His afflicted people in the opening portion of the verse, the closing portion of the Exodus 1:12 reveals the response of the Egyptians, saying, “And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.” Even so, Exodus 1:15-16 declares, “And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.”
Act 5: The Lord Provides Deliverance for His People
Indeed, this present evil world may expand its attacks against God’s faithful servants. Yet the Lord our God remains faithful and provides deliverance for His people. Even so, Exodus 1:17-20 declares, “But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.”
Act 6: The World Hardens Its Heart unto Greater Persecution
Exodus 1 concludes with the statement, “And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.” Most often this present evil world does not come to repentance through these events. Most often this present evil world hardens its heart more and more unto its destruction, for the Lord our God will ever remain faithful to defend and deliver His faithful servants.
Exodus 1:7 declares, “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.” This was the Lord’s hand of blessing upon His people. He caused them to be fruitful and to increase abundantly. He caused them to multiply and to wax exceeding mighty. Yea, He did so in faithful fulfillment of His promises unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Act 2: The World Turns Against God’s People
Exodus 1:8-10 declares, “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.”
This persecution by the world against God’s people is founded upon the fact that the world does not spiritually know the Lord. Even so, in John 15:21 our Lord Jesus Christ warned His disciples, saying, “But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.” Again in John 16:1-3 our Lord Jesus Christ warned them, saying, “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.”
Not knowing the Lord, this present evil world is not motivated to joy and praise when the Lord blesses His people, but to aggravation and fear. In such aggravation and fear, this present evil world hates to see God’s people blessed and multiplied. Thus the world will be moved to afflict God’s people in order to counteract the Lord’s hand of blessing upon. Yea, the world will put burdens upon God’s people, will treat them harshly, and will make their life bitter.
Even so, Exodus 1:11-14 declares concerning the Egyptian’s treatment of God’s people Israel, “Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.”
Act 3: The Lord Defeats the World’s Attacks against His People
Indeed, the world will hatefully persecute God’s people when they are blessed by the hand of the Lord our God. Yet in the midst of this very hatred and persecution, the Lord our God will bless His faithful servants even more. Yea, in His faithfulness unto His people, the Lord our God will defeat the world’s attacks against His faithful servants by multiplying His blessing upon them. Even so, the opening portion of Exodus 1:12 declares, “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.”
Act 4: The World Will Expand Its Attacks against God’s People
Often, the Lord’s faithfulness to defeat the world’s attacks against His people and to multiply His blessing upon them does not move the world to repent of their rebellion against the Lord and of their hatred against His people. Rather, the world often hardens their heart in greater rebellion and in greater hatred. Thus the world is moved to expand and intensify their attacks against God’s faithful servants. Having presented the Lord’s multiplied blessing upon His afflicted people in the opening portion of the verse, the closing portion of the Exodus 1:12 reveals the response of the Egyptians, saying, “And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.” Even so, Exodus 1:15-16 declares, “And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.”
Act 5: The Lord Provides Deliverance for His People
Indeed, this present evil world may expand its attacks against God’s faithful servants. Yet the Lord our God remains faithful and provides deliverance for His people. Even so, Exodus 1:17-20 declares, “But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.”
Act 6: The World Hardens Its Heart unto Greater Persecution
Exodus 1 concludes with the statement, “And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.” Most often this present evil world does not come to repentance through these events. Most often this present evil world hardens its heart more and more unto its destruction, for the Lord our God will ever remain faithful to defend and deliver His faithful servants.
Posted in Meditations in Exodus, Faithfulness of Our Lord, Rebellion against God, Deliverance of Our Lord, In Time Of Trouble
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